Alison Nagasue excitedly opened the piece of mail, hoping for good news. She got it, discovering that the lapel pin she designed had won the DeBeers Diamonds International Award. Moments later, as she basked in victory, Alison's large husky ran after a nearby dog, dragging her down a flight of stairs.
 
“People helped me up, and I was smiling the whole time," she says. "I wasn’t injured, just floating in excitement."
 
When she accepted the prestigious award at a ceremony in Milan, Italy, Alison was so worried about tripping on her gown, she opted to go shoeless. Although the DeBeers award was just one of many professional accomplishments, Alison credits it as the jump-off point for her career, granting the down-to-earth designer instant industry recognition and credibility.
 
Alison has built an impressive resume during a quarter century of designing jewelry, working for more than a dozen acclaimed jewelry houses and legendary celebrities. She worked on the Rosy Blue collection with Vera Wang and the Infinite Hearts for supermodel Petra Nemcova. Alison created a signature starfish for Andin, a gingo signature bracelet and earrings for Gump’s and Fortunoff, and collaborated on the distinctive Soft Gold™ collection by Aurafin.
 
Other employers include Leo Schachter Couture, Lauren Bacall Fine Jewelry, Trifari, Clover Corporation, Suberi, and Samuel Aaron Group. Alison also consulted on jewelry collections by Mariah Carey, Linda Dano, and HSN True Hearts for Rita Wilson and Cathy Waterman.
 
It’s not surprising that Alison’s astonishing resume is also filled with other notable accolades. She has won awards from International Gold and World Gold Council-Virtuosi.
 
Alison started her own company in 2001, though she began building her Absolute™ collection years earlier. Her independent work is exclusive to HSN.
 
“I wanted to provide diamond-like, high-end designs at an affordable price," says Alison, a mother whose daughter works with her as an assistant. "I also love working with the colors in Absolute. There has been a seamless interpretation of diamond to Absolute, and actually, I have had more freedom in my designs.”
 
Alison dreams up many of her ideas in the shower, and love of jewelry keeps the ideas flowing.
 
“I put on my jewelry and feel beauty inside and out." she says. "It transforms me! I experience a pleasant physical feeling when I am wearing my jewelry, and I know that I look and feel special."
 
Alison earned a fine arts degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a master's degree from Cranbrook Academy of Art. She later gained hands-on experience at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. 

Medium
Absolute™, sterling silver, and vermeil

Collection description
Flashy, stone-encrusted designs are frequent throughout Alison’s line, featuring strong geometric and nature themed rings and pendants.

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